Cannoli Cake | Cookies and Cups

This unbelievable Cannoli Cake recipe transforms a bakery favourite into a pleasant, indulgent layer cake! Full with do-it-yourself mascarpone cannoli filling, fluffy vanilla cake layers, and creamy vanilla frosting dripping with chocolate ganache.
I guess you’ll love my Italian Cream Cake too, so ensure to take a look at that recipe!

An Extremely Indulgent Layer Cake You’ll Love!
Image a lightweight, creamy, chocolatey cannoli recent from the bakery. Now, think about it remodeled into layer upon layer of beautiful vanilla cake. Stuffed with mascarpone cream, frosted, after which drenched in chocolate ganache. Are you prepared for this? As a result of as we speak we’re bringing this indulgent dessert fantasy to life! Meet: the Cannoli Cake.
That is actually a showstopper of a cake. In appears, but additionally in its irresistible texture and candy, creamy taste. If you happen to’ve been intimidated by layer muffins up to now, let’s formally put these fears to relaxation. You’re going to like how straightforward this knockout dessert is to make!

What Is Cannoli Cake Made Of?
Like my Simple Chocolate Eclair Cake, this cannoli cake recipe channels the spirit of a traditional pastry right into a decadent layer cake. Let’s go over every little thing you’ll want, and you should definitely check with the recipe card for the total particulars when making your cake:

For the Cannoli Filling
- Mascarpone & Ricotta Cheese: These are two gentle, creamy Italian sorts of cheese that make up the pastry filling in a traditional cannoli. Take be aware in case your ricotta cheese wants draining earlier than you start.
- Powdered Sugar: Additionally referred to as confectioner’s sugar. For sweetness with out the graininess of normal sugar.
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract: Be certain to make use of pure vanilla extract. Alternatively, use Grand Marnier. The liqueur provides the filling a little bit additional citrus kick.
- Chocolate Chips: You’ll want the mini chocolate chips for this recipe. Common-sized chips can be too chunky, and also you’ll lose among the filling’s delicate texture.

For the Cake
- Butter: I exploit salted butter within the cake to assist steadiness the general sweetness of the recipe. Take your butter out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature, to make it simpler to combine.
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil provides a cake crumb irresistible moisture. You should utilize one other impartial oil like canola if wanted.
- Eggs: For construction and richness. You should definitely use recent eggs!
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Salt
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is decrease in protein and gluten than common all-purpose flour. I like utilizing cake flour for this cannoli cake. It yields a extra ethereal, delicate cake that actually brings dwelling these fluffy cannoli pastry vibes.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk provides this vanilla cake the most effective depth of taste and a touch of tang.

For the Frosting
- Butter: Once more, deliver the butter in your frosting to room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Milk: Complete milk or 2{1d83c9a60bb75f2f96a3ffa9fed2d1ab939e21cad26acf1ad1d06b2c720f3c0a} milk has a very good quantity of fats content material, to make the frosting additional creamy.
- Vanilla Extract
You’ll additionally want something you’d like to make use of to garnish your cannoli cake. That is non-obligatory, however then once more, who can resist adorning a stunning layer cake? Some ideas are mini chocolate chips, mini cannoli, toasted almonds, or orange zest. I’ve additionally included extra variations within the part additional on!
How one can Make It
This cannoli cake recipe comes collectively in three components: the creamy mascarpone filling, the fluffy cake layers, and the do-it-yourself vanilla frosting. Let’s get began:


Put together the Cannoli Filling: Combine the mascarpone with ricotta, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Subsequent, fold within the chocolate chips, and transfer the filling into the fridge to relax.


Make the Batter: Whereas the oven preheats to 350ºF, cream the butter and sugar collectively. Proceed to combine and add oil, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, then a pinch of salt. As soon as the combination is easy, alternate including buttermilk and flour till mixed. Bear in mind to scrape down the edges of the bowl alongside the best way!


Bake: Divide the cake batter evenly between the three spherical pans lined with parchment paper. Bake till the facilities of the muffins are set. This often takes about half an hour, give or take, however maintain an eye fixed. The muffins are accomplished when you possibly can stick a toothpick into the center and it comes out clear. Depart the muffins to chill within the pans for a bit, then take away them from the pans to chill utterly earlier than frosting.
Make the Frosting: Beat butter and sugar collectively, then add salt, milk, and vanilla, and blend till you have got a creamy consistency. Now that your muffins, filling, and frosting are prepared, it’s time to assemble your cannoli cake!


Assemble the Cake: Start with the primary cake layer, and prime it with half of the chilled cannoli filling. Layer the second cake over prime, adopted by the remaining filling. Lastly, prime with the third cake layer. Utilizing an offset spatula, unfold the vanilla frosting excessive and sides of the cake to coat. Then garnish as you’d like!
I can’t resist an excuse to make use of my pourable chocolate ganache, so I went all out for the pictures. I then topped my drip cake with chocolate chips and precise mini cannoli pastries from my favourite bakery. Something goes! See the subsequent part for much more concepts.

Useful Hints and Simple Variations
- How one can Know If the Ricotta Wants Draining: Retailer-bought ricotta cheese typically is available in brine or liquid. If you happen to discover that the ricotta you have got is dry inside the bathtub, you possibly can skip draining it. In any other case, to do away with any extra moisture within the cannoli filling, you’ll want to empty the ricotta first. To do that, place a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl. Add the ricotta and let it drain, loosely lined, within the fridge for at the least 4 hours (you possibly can even go away it in a single day).
- Don’t Overmix: Keep away from over-mixing your cake batter. You need that batter good and ethereal for deliciously gentle, mild cake layers. You should definitely solely combine till the components are simply mixed, as overdoing it will probably result in a denser cake.
- Make a Drip Cake: As you possibly can see, this cannoli cake appears superb as a drip cake! It’s tremendous straightforward to do utilizing my pourable Chocolate Ganache Recipe. Extremely suggest!
- Toppings: You may be as modest or as all-out as you’d like on the subject of adorning your cake. High your cake with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or Simple Strawberry Syrup, crushed cookies, chopped nuts, whipped cream, or recent fruit.
- Frosting: Change up the vanilla frosting with other forms of do-it-yourself frosting. Strive my recipes for Heritage Frosting, Whipped Nutella Frosting, and even Good Celebration Frosting for a special day! You can too prime your cake with swirls of buttercream (try piping suggestions in my recipe for Creamy Chocolate Frosting).

Does Cannoli Cake Have to Be Refrigerated?
Sure. All that cream requires chilling! Retailer your cannoli cake hermetic within the fridge for as much as 3 days. To take the nippiness off for serving, take the cake out about 10-Quarter-hour beforehand.
Can I Freeze Cannoli Cake?
Sure, it’s potential to freeze this cake. I like to recommend freezing it after it’s frosted, however earlier than you’ve gone forward with any chocolate drips or garnishes.
I additionally counsel letting the frosting harden within the fridge for some time earlier than you wrap the cake. As soon as the frosting is about, wrap the cake in plastic wrap to maintain frozen for as much as 2 months. Thaw the cake within the fridge in a single day earlier than adorning and/or serving.
Description
This irresistible Cannoli Cake recipe transforms a bakery favourite into an indulgent vanilla layer cake match for a special day! Full with creamy do-it-yourself chocolate chip mascarpone filling.
Cannoli Filling:
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, ricotta cheese, drained if wanted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or Grand Marnier)
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Cake:
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
Frosting:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Non-obligatory garnish – mini chocolate chips, mini cannoli, toasted almonds, orange zest
- Cannoli Filling: Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the mascarpone, ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Combine on medium pace till easy. Flip the mixer to low and blend within the chocolate chips. Switch to a bowl, cowl, and chill till prepared to make use of.
- Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat 3, 8- inch spherical cake pans with nonstick spray. Reduce three items of parchment paper into 8- inch circles. Place the rounds within the bottoms of the pans. Coat once more with nonstick spray. Put aside.
- Within the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. Add within the oil, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and proceed mixing for a further minute till easy and mixed, scraping the edges of the bowl as crucial to verify every little thing is evenly combined.
- Flip the mixer to low pace and in alternating parts add within the buttermilk and flour, starting and ending with flour. Combine for 30 seconds, till mixed and easy, once more, scraping the edges of the bowl as wanted.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into every ready pan.
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or till the facilities of the muffins are set, and a toothpick inserted within the center comes out clear.
- Enable the muffins to chill within the pans for 10 minutes, after which take away the muffins and permit them to chill utterly on a wire rack.
- Frosting: Within the clear bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and powdered sugar on low for 30 seconds to mix. Add within the salt, milk, and vanilla, and blend on medium pace for 1 – 2 minutes till creamy, scraping the underside and sides of the bowl as crucial,
- Meeting: Place one cake spherical on a platter. High with half of the chilled cannoli combination. Repeat with one other cake spherical and prime with the remaining cannoli combination. Place the remaining cake on prime.
- Coat the edges and the cake with frosting. Garnish as desired.
Notes
- Retailer hermetic within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Earlier than serving, take away from the fridge and let sit for Quarter-hour to take the nippiness off.
- One other fairly adorning approach may very well be a drip cake utilizing my pourable chocolate ganache recipe.
- How one can Know If the Ricotta Wants Draining: With most store-bought ricotta cheese you will want to pressure it in order that it’s thicker when used for pastry filling. (In case your ricotta already seems dry within the tub with out quite a lot of extra moisture you possibly can skip this!) Line a sieve with a cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Loosely cowl and permit this to take a seat within the fridge in a single day. In a pinch, 4 hours will often do the trick for this recipe, as you aren’t utilizing a considerable amount of ricotta.
Key phrases: layer cake, vanilla cake recipe, straightforward vanilla cake recipe
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